


Winterthorne

by writingnightwing



Series: How to Tame a Dragonborn [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action & Romance, Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Imperial Legion, Mage, Near Death Experiences, Past Character Death, Skyrim Civil War, Skyrim Main Quest, Violence, mature themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2018-11-09 14:39:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11106657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingnightwing/pseuds/writingnightwing
Summary: This is a story made for my dragonborn character I created with a ship that is from this mod: http://skyrimromance.com/ (You should show it some love it's pretty neat.) This will mostly be updated here: http://skyrimromance.com/forums/topic/winterthorne/Ceridwyn, a young mage who ran away from home at the age of 16 to serve the legion when the family business was not something she wanted to join into, comes home to Skyrim at the age of 24 to find that her family is missing. Along the way, trying to save the world from being dominated by dragons once more, she is face with trying to find the truth of what happened to her family as her and her companion try to unravel each other's past. Though the truth may be much more sinister than she anticipated.





	1. Coming Home

CHAPTER 1  
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Home. That sounded like a distant word only used to speak fondly of memories that became out of reach. Even though most of the Nords weren't fond of elves, Ceridwyn didn't mind it. As a half elf they could barely tell the difference, and so Skyrim still stayed in her mind as a joyful memory. When she had gotten a little older, her family tired of the city and moved to Skyrim, which to her became home. Cyrodiil was nice for the coin and the jobs she had been given as a Battlemage, but it still didn’t compare to the beautiful seasons and enjoyable travels. She was being sent home to help with the raging war, voluntarily of course. It was just a chance to reunited with the family she had left behind even if in the back of her mind, they still held disappointment.

The boat ride wasn’t perfect, the thought of going home was the only thing keeping her from pulling her hair out on the ride. The storms went from nothing to almost wrecking the ship. If she wasn’t mistaken, the captain was drunk half the time anyway. Do the imperials really hire people like this? No point in questioning it, at least they hadn’t actually wrecked. She couldn’t care less, they were almost there and she wouldn’t have to deal with the whistling imbeciles the captain called a crew.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the call of the captain, the boat landing at the boarder of Skyrim. Ceridwyn began her journey, stepping off the boat with her only belongings. Everything seemed calm enough, the one moment she wouldn’t be seeing what chaos the war was causing. She took a deep breath, the cold and warm mixes of the autumn air filling her lungs, a strong smell of pine hinted at the beautiful trees that once had a large place in her childhood memories. “Can’t be too bad.” She grinned, taking light and cautious steps onto the dock.  
“Get them!” Immediately after getting of the boat, she was met with a burden. Though she dreaded the immediate action, she dove into the battle, helping the other mages and the soldiers take care of arresting the Stormcloaks. By the looks of it, the whole thing was a set up. “We got you now Ulfric.” She heard them behind her, as she was helping with the arrest of another. When she turned, they had him tied by his hands and a cloth placed roughly in his mouth. If she wasn’t mistaken, her boat was a part of the plan.

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“Where are we taking them?” Ceridwyn questions Hadvar, a friend she had since she joined the army. “Helgen to be executed.” Of course she didn’t seem to happy about it. In fact, she was sure almost no one took joy in having to behead others, at least the two of them didn’t. The closer they had gotten, the more her chest would tighten. The action felt like too much, Helgen was so close to Riverwood, so close to seeing her family. Get it over with and leave… Just down a path. It seemed easy enough.

“Feeling okay Cer?” He asked sweetly, calling her the usual nickname he had given he when they were only children. She grinned and nodded her head, “Yeah.” Though it had been a while, the two spoke as if they had never been a part from each other. The whole walk to Helgen, though dreading what was to come, they kept their minds on each other.

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“Alright, get the prisoners off of the carriage!” The words made her cringe, she stepped aside and took her place by Hadvar with his list and keeping her appropriate stance. One by one they stepped off, Ceridwyn accidentally made eye contact with Ulfric. She quickly looked away, not that she deemed him as anything worthless, but the gaze was intense… Almost spiteful. “Ulfric Stormcloak…” He began to call the names, as they faded out of her line of hearing she began to zone out. Maybe it was for the best, since things like this made her uncomfortable.

“I won’t die! Not like this!” They heard the man take off running and just like that, “Archers!” His death was ordered, one way or another. Like by the nines it was bound to happen. The man fell, having at least the luxury of a quick death. Time went by, two executed. Ulfric had been called. The man behind him, assumed to be one of his soldiers, told him what an honor it had been to serve by his side. In her mind, they were taking it like true warriors.

He stepped up the chopping block, a grim silence filling the air. As if the war was to be over, everyone could go one worry free. “Did you hear that?” Confused, Ceridwyn stepped close to Hadvar and whispered to him, “What are they talking about?” He shrugged, “There’s a strange noise in the di-”

Her friend was cut off. A dragon landing directly on one of the towers. Chaos ensued as everyone tried to head to the safest place near them. There were screams of agony as the dragon targeted everything that even remotely moved. “Ceridwyn! This way!” She scrambled to go after her close friend, the two of them trying to coax a boy away from his already dead father. The brutal scene seemed like something that would burn into her mind for ages to come. They all headed towards the tower, leaving the boy to another soldier’s care.

“Come this way! We need to find another way out!” Without another spoken word, the two headed in through what would hopefully lead to the cave out.  
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(Time skip due to avoidance of boring story purposes)  
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The two hid behind the rock just outside of the cave entrance, waiting for the dragon to make it’s flight over. “We should head to Riverwood. Alvor will know what to do, you’ll have at least a moment to see your family.” Ceridwyn would have grinned, had the dragon attack not happened. The haunting feeling of dread took over the emotions that were suppose to be joyful, and stayed with her the whole way home. “Are you going to be okay Cer?”

“If okay is simply being alive… Then I guess I am.”


	2. New Companions

CHAPTER 2  
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“Alvor!” Hadvar quickly rushed to the man, beginning to explain everything that had happened. Ceridwyn, however, wandered away towards her family home. She studied it. It seemed vacant, but regardless of that she still had no courage to knock on the door or even attempt to walk in. She sat down on the steps for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. Why was it so hard to face them again? Of course the worse exchanged before her runaway were harsh, but it was her family. In a desperate need for a drink, the closest thing to a comforting feeling, Ceridwyn began to wander over to the Sleeping Giant Inn. On the way, sadly, she had to pass a couple of men that seemed to drunk off their asses.

“Hey there lovely.” She heard a drunk voice slur, “Want to lip wrestle with me tonight?” She stared at them, completely dumbstruck. Ceridwyn didn’t feel as offended as she did absolutely disgusted. The mage turned on her heel and began heading up the stairs, her fist tightly curled into a ball. As she approached the door to the inn, she was met with another man staring. Her blood was already boiling, so she turned to the man and asked, “What are you looking at?” He shrugged, “So I’m guessing you’re not the lip wrestling type. Got it.” She scoffed, “Or did you want me to kiss your boots? If so, you’ve come to the wrong place.” Ceridwyn proceeded to laugh in his face, “Look, I’ve had a long, LONG, terrible day. I’m just looking for a drink away from… Drunks.” She muttered the last part, heading for the door again. “Before you drink yourself into believing a broomstick is your friend,” The comment made her almost snort, but she refused to show any amusement, “Are you honestly so used to those comments that you turn your nose up to them like a damn noble?”

“I’m not a noble and no. I just don’t bother with them. I’m sorry, are you upset that I’m taking all of your attention, princess?” He laughed at her comment, leaning his back onto the wall again, “Those two wish they had the courage to whistle at me. They’ve harassed every woman that’s walked by them for days. They’ve even gotten so drunk they wolf whistled the black smith!” That was it. Ceridwyn snorted out a laugh, unable to contain the idea of Alvor’s reaction. The man raised his eyebrow at her, a grin making its way to his expression, “Although, you were the first they were right to admire.” Her laughing stopped, she stared at him with disbelief, “Anyway… Just keep your distance from them.”

“Maybe I need to keep my distance from you.” He stood up, almost towering over her as his grin turned smug, “Maybe I’ll just have to bother you a little more then.” She rolled her eyes, “If I had the time.” He finished, “I have to find my wolf, Karnwyr. He disappeared while we were hunting a week ago, I’ve head rumors of pit fights held by bandits somewhere near Riften. He’s all I’ve got, so I’m off to rescue him and shut them down before something worse happens.” Though she tried to hold up a facade of a tough soldier, her walls broke down for a brief moment, immediately volunteering herself to save the wolf, “I could help you save him!” She blurted out, her hand flew up to her mouth. Too late. Idiot. “I mean… If you need to help that is. I’m a part of the Imperials. I could be useful.”

“That kind of enthusiasm can get a girl like you in trouble.” He winked, his grin looked almost… predatory. Even then, Ceridwyn couldn’t help but think about his relationship with his wolf. “I have to make my way up to Solitude anyways. I’m sure the general would understand if I was helping a civilian. Besides, I-” A voice came form behind her, “Ceridwyn!” Hadvar came up from behind, laying a hand on her shoulder, “Alvor needs the news delivered to Whiterun. I need to head back to Solitude and check in with the general as soon as I can to let him know we’re okay. Can you handle that?” She nodded, smiling happily at her friend, “Of course. Go on, I got this.” He nodded and ran off. She turned back towards the man as he replied, “I guess there’ll be quite a few bandits if they’re running a ring… I could definitely do worst for company too.” He held his hand out, gesturing for her to lead the way, “After you.”  
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The way felt long, dreadful. They hadn’t even walked for very long, but Ceridwyn was starting to get weary because of her lack of sleep. She stopped abruptly, setting her pack down and whistling at him to get his attention. “We should rest here.” He tried to protest, but she cut him off, “If you want actual help that’ll be useful, I need to rest. I haven’t slept since I got here. I get that time is precious, but so is not dying when we get there.” He nodded, agreeing with her silently. She gathered her things out of her bag to make a camp and sent him off to gather supplies for a fire.

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He sat next to the fire, warming up because of the chilly autumn breeze, Ceridwyn on the other side, staring at him and trying to figure the man out. “You never told me your name.” He looked up at her, his honey colored eyes glowing in the light of the fire, “Bishop.” She grinned, “Ceridwyn Winterthorne.” He had his dagger out, just in case something were to decide to try something. As he twirled it in his hands, he spoke, “If you expect me to tell you my last or middle name, you’re going to be very disappointed Princess.” She turned her head side ways, confused by the new nicknames her had been throwing at her. There was no point in protesting, it didn’t bother her in the slightest. “I didn’t, but I would like to know why you’re calling me those names.” He laughed, “Because your first impression was more like a stuck up noble.” Her eyes rolled, and he pointed at her, “Just like that.”

Ceridwyn crawled into her bed roll, “Well, whatever you want to call me. It’s not like you’ll be around long enough to keep calling me that.” With one last comment thrown in, and a mutter that sounded a little something like a protest against her words, the woman fell into a nightmare stricken sleep.  
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“Are you trying to get us killed? Wake up! Now!” Bishop shook Ceridwyn awake, a look of anger sparked in his eyes, “I’m sorry… I must have had a nightmare.” She stared passed him, a look of dread and haunting memories were apparent on her horrified expression. For a split second, he felt worried. His eyes softened and he let go of her shoulders, the concerned look disappearing. “We need to head out. We’re already wasting daylight.” She nodded, packing her stuff up and trailing behind the Ranger and keeping her distance for the rest of the walk to the cave.

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“Shh…” He lightly gestured for her to go to the other side, “I’ll go ahead and take out as many as I can without being noticed, don’t attack until we’ve been spotted.” She nodded and did as she was told. She didn’t mind someone else taking the lead since she was used to following general’s orders. Ceridwyn observed Bishop as he skillfully took out the bandit guarding the door and the two hostile wolves in their cages. She couldn’t deny how impressive his skills were, but she had hope for even the slightest chance to use her magic, a small need to impress him overwhelmed him as she began to admire his tactics.

They entered the cave, Karnwyr already in their sights. He was much more furry than the other wolves, he looked approachable, but knowing how wolves were she didn’t even bother. She just sat back and gave the two their reunion, smiling behind them. “How about we take down these bandits, huh? I shoot them down and you rip them a part, just like old times?” That’s a strange way to show friendship, but it was a friendship none the less. The trio had immediately been spotted, unable to keep stealth for long due to how much bigger the crowd had been than they had anticipated. Ceridwyn used one of her daggers instead, stabbing one in the jugular before he could do anything more to the Ranger’s wolf.

After all of the bandits had been killed, Ceridwyn sat down on a nearby chest, taking a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts. She looked up to Bishop and asked, “You’re a tracker right? I could use one of those.” Her shrugged, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. I didn’t know a girl like you had it in ya.” She smiled, feeling accomplished, “I can do much more than you know.” She got up, walking beside him towards the exist of the cave, “Besides, I bet you’re the kind that could get us into all sorts of trouble.” She laughed, “More than you know.”

“Oh… I’m looking forward to that.” There it was. That same wolfish grin. Something about it wasn’t as uncomfortable as it should have been, almost as if it belonged to him in the first place. The two headed out, the night sky still masking the sunrise. The beautiful stars were surrounded by the colors of day and night that began to clash. “Whiterun, right? I hear they have great ale…” He trailed off, the sound of longing prominent in his tone. That kind of optimism could be useful, even if it was going to be mostly about tavern wenches and ale.


	3. Favor For The Jarl

Chapter 3 (Warning: Possible use of strong curse words from now on! I didn’t get to warn before in the other chapters, so here we go!)  
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The road to Whiterun was long, but certainly not quiet. It seemed as if the man and his wolf never had much of a dull moment between each other. It was nice, watching the two be around each other. Ceridwyn, however, was silent the whole way. Observant of her companions, as if she was trying to figure out if she could trust them. It had been a few days since they saved his faithful friend and they had almost made it to Whiterun. Those few days gave her time to think about the situation she had gotten herself in. Dragons, of all things dragons were coming back… but why? Why now? It attacked just before Ulfric’s execution. It seemed suspicious, almost as if the Stormcloaks had something to do with it.

The gate was just ahead, giving her hope for a night of good rest and maybe even a bath if they had it. They had went to enter, when a guard stopped her before she could even touch the doors, “Whiterun is closed do to the current situation. Official business only.” She took a strong stance as a soldier and proceeded to speak boldly. “My name is Ceridwyn Winterthorne. I am a Battlemage from the Imperial army. I have news of Helgen from the dragon attack, as well as news from Riverwood.” The guards immediately stepped aside, not questioning the woman one bit. That puzzled her companion. It couldn’t have just been her voice, regardless of how strong, of course her armor was that of official attire from the imperials. Her name, however, she seemed to say as if it had every bit of importance to the city.

As they entered the city, the wolf and the ranger trailed behind her. She seemed as if she held a higher stance, so it would be easier to just follow. The night sky was beginning to turn the surrounding areas dark that had not held a torch or lantern, just causing the trio to feel more tired than the journey already made them. They couldn’t rest though, Ceridwyn needed to deliver the news to Jarl Balgruuf. It had been an urgent matter, and even Bishop’s rest would have to wait. They found their way up the stairs to the cloud district, the guards keeping their place and letting the three through without any further questions.

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“You can tell me. I’ll give it to the Jarl.” Ceridwyn was starting to get impatient with this woman. “I was told to give this message directly to the Jarl.” Even Bishop and Karnwyr seemed like they were getting impatient, before Bishop could even protest the fact that she was keeping him from the tavern, the Jarl spoke up in his place, “Irileth. Let them through, I want to hear this.” Ceridwyn stepped up to the Jarl and began to calmly explain the situation. “Alvor sent me, Riverwood is in danger. I was in Helgen before making it there, we were attacked by a dragon.”

With those words came tasks, given to them for the next day. To retrieve a ‘dragon stone’ for the court wizard. Bishop was beginning to notice how generous she was, which could eventually be too much for him to handle because going to everyone’s beck and call was against what he believed in. They didn’t deserve that generosity, no one did. Of course he didn’t care about her, he just cared about her getting his ass in trouble. He was happy to finally make it to the tavern, pressure was raised off of both of their shoulders as they entered, knowing sleep was in arm’s reach.

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The moment they entered, Bishop began to order out what they needed. It was clear that he was tired, needed a drink, and even a bath was needed. Ceridwyn took the chance to get near the fire, enjoying the warmth. “We need two rooms and a bath if you have it.” The man frowned, which wasn’t a good sign to either of them. There was a woman hovering around him, which didn’t bother Ceridwyn any, as long as it wouldn’t affect the journey to the stone and back. “We only have one room…” He ran his hand through his hair and huffed, “Do you have anything?” ‘Daniel’, from what they had learned by hearing previous banter between inn keeps, pointed towards what they had learned to be the bathing room, “We have one single bed room, but it’s being used as a storage closet so it’s a bit cluttered.”

“We’ll take it, but for half the price because of the trouble.” Bishop said in a frustrated tone, the man nodding quickly in agreement and muttering an apology. The woman walked by Bishop and touched his shoulder, “You really don’t have to do that you know…” This seemed to irritate him, which shocked Ceridwyn. She was a willing tavern wench, how could he just pass that up? “Go away, flea.” ‘That was kinda rude…’ Ceridwyn thought, getting up to follow after Daniel, “Alright… The bath is in here, and the room is just to the right. The other is upstairs.” They both nodded and Bishop pointed in, as if gesturing for her to go first, “I’ll keep watch.”

He didn’t seem as smart-ass sarcastic as he had been for the few weeks she had known him. How strange… Though it wasn’t anything for her to worry about, as long as he didn’t want to just take the coin and run when they were through. The extra help was nice and the company could always be worse. She walked in and sat her stuff down and began to undress. Small banter was heard here and there, but nothing that sounded important. A small child doing the Dark Brotherhood ritual, necromancers, and a lost artifact. Nothing of importance for her at the moment. Once she slipped into the water, she began to relax, happy to feel warm and almost clean again.

“I told you to leave me alone.” She could hear him speak to the woman before, but she almost chose not to listen in. It didn’t seem too important. As she was washing her hair, getting all of the dirt off of her body that she could, one thing that was said stuck out to her. “Why is she so special?” The woman whined, making Ceridwyn feel bad. Why had he been so rude to this girl? It was odd… She was fairly attractive, at least to Ceridwyn she was quite the sight for sore eyes. She couldn’t blame her either, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud, her new found companion wasn’t bad to look at.

“Because she just is.” Those words startled her. That had to be a joke right? He hadn’t known her long, though she could just be another pair of legs. For some reason it made her feel a little happy, as if there was possibly any kind of trust in the future. She got out and put on a a normal dress, something that was at least remotely comfortable and tapped his shoulder, “It’s all yours.” She nodded to him. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, the once fully armored and dirt covered soldier had become a woman. Her hair was fairly short, possibly to keep from any issues during battle, but the natural black colored locks still framed her face perfectly when it wasn’t covered in blood and filth. Her eyes were more noticeable, a bright shade of green that seemed like they could pierce your soul, had you made her angry enough. She was shorter than he thought but he frame was fit. He’d be lying if he said she wouldn’t be a good catch, but he tried to avoid it as much as he could. “Sabre cat got your tongue?”

“Not at all ladyship.” Before he could walk away, she decided to ask at least one thing about the conversation, “So why’d you pass up the willing woman?” He ignored the comment and resorted to joking, “You should go upstairs ladyship, unless you’re staying to join me.” She immediately turned on her heels and began going up the steps,  
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The cave was dark, there were spiders everywhere, bandits had evaded the place, and even though they were really close to the stone Ceridwyn still dreaded every step. He told her to be careful, because he wasn’t going to carry her out. He also told her to stop stomping around like a swamp boar, but that just caused her to step a little louder just to irritate him. “You don’t have any room to complain Ladyship. You took this job.” She rolled her eyes and huffed, “I know, but it’s my-” He cut her off, “You could have just left and went directly to Solitude but you chose to help.” She shrugged, “It’s in my nature I guess.”

“… So how did you become a ranger?” He looked up at her, almost shocked, “Why do you want to know?” She shrugged, “You’re my companion. I want to get to know you better.” He raised an eyebrow and sighed, “Normally when people ask those questions they have personal reasons.”

“No. Is getting to know you a crime?” She laughed at him, hoping it would alleviate some of the hostile tension she had built up with her question. The rest of the way towards the door was silent, a few draugers here and there that needed to be killed, but nothing too bad. Finally, something broke the silence that shocked her. “I practically grew up with the skills to be a ranger, though that isn’t what I used them for.” He continued as Ceridwyn tried to figure out the claw puzzle, “I found out that fat and snobby nobles like to pay for Rangers to hunt their food… That’s what I did.” She stopped, a satisfied smile making its way to her lips. “What about you? Where did you come from?”

“I was born in Highrock, Osinium specifically. I ran away from home to join the Legion after family issues. I became one of their best Battlemages. Just now came home… They used my ship as an ambush. Right when I got off I had to take prisoners to Helgen. Tried to do executions… Just hid behind my friend Hadvar. I don’t enjoy watching beheadings, contrary to the popular belief that imperials are practically brutal. This dragon, things we thought we were dead attacked the city. The prisoners got away and we head to escape. Here we are now.”

“Is that all?” He replied, as if she hadn’t said enough, “Never mind. I don’t care. What’s in the past is in the past. Let’s move on.” Just as she was about to answer, she had gotten the door open. “Finally!” She exclaimed happily, “Let’s get this and get out of here. Ale and a bed sound nice right now…”

“Now you’re speaking my language, ladyship.”

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“What’s this?” She muttered, stepping closer to a wall that seemed to have another language engraved into it. Bishop and Karnwyr were too busy raiding a chest that was by what looked to be a coffin. The closer she stepped to the wall, the more her vision began to blur. It was as if she understood what it was saying, but it felt as if someone had hit her head with a heavy rock. A moment or two passed and she still tried to figure out what was going on, when a loud crash came from behind the trio.

The sound of Bishop’s arrows were enough to cause her to pull out her sword and fire spell. There was an ancient Nordic draugr guarding the dragon stone he had been buried with. “Fus Ro Dah!” The draugr sent Ceridwyn flying into the wall. It took a lot of effort to even bring him done, Karnwyr tried his best to keep him grounded so that the other two could kill it. When it was finally over, she sat down on the ground and stared at the dragon stone, waiting and resting before picking it up. “Are you alright?” She asked him, “You look like you took a pretty bad hit back there.”

“W-What? Me? You’re the one that got thrown into the wall ladyship. Are you okay?” She laughed bitterly and began leading the way out. “I’ve had worse.”

Worse only made him more curious. Like there was a whole other load of stories to uncover from her time in the legion or her past in general. Not that he cared about her. Why would he? He couldn’t trust anyone but his wolf, of course.


	4. Change of Plans

Chapter 4   
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The three arrived back to the court wizard with the stone. He was pleasantly surprised that the Jarl had finally found someone worth of that sort of work. “You’re different from the usual brute he sends in.” She nodded to him but didn’t smile. She just wanted to understand what was going on, if the stone could tell them anything at all. “Our friend here retrieved the stone.” The woman was unidentifiable. The hood covered most of her face, but her voice sounded oddly familiar, “You went to Bleak Fall Barrow and retrieved this? Good job…”

“Farengar!” The Jarl’s housecarl came running down the steps, “You need to see the Jarl. It’s an urgent matter. You too.” She looked directly at Ceridwyn, eyes full of what seemed like fear and determination. Ceridwyn trailed behind her quickly, Bishop and Karnwyr on her heels. As they approached Jarl Balgruuf, he looked distraught. The worry began to build up inside of her, knowing that whatever he was putting them up to, she wouldn’t have a whole army behind her like she was used to, but had it involved her death she would take it with pride. “This guard says there was a dragon spotted at the watchtower.” The guard quickly nodded, “Yes sir… I ran here as quick as I could to tell you, I’m not sure if it’s attacked the tower yet.” He sighed, “Go and get some food and rest son. You’ve earned it.”

He turned to Ceridwyn and took a deep breath in, “I have no time to thank you for what you have done for us here. I will have to reward you later, but just know that you have our thanks. The city is in your debt, Winterthorne. Please, assist my guards and Irileth with the dragon. We don’t have much time before it thinks to attack the city itself.” She nodded, preparing herself for the possibility of being killed by a dragon. It wasn’t something she planned on doing when she had gotten home, but to her it was an honor to die protecting others.

He proceeded to tell the Housecarl to ready her men and she told him they had already been told to gather by the gate. Ceridwyn took in a deep breath and looked at Bishop, who seemed as if he was about to protest fighting the dragon. “You can stay back, but I’m not leaving them alone on this. I have a duty to protect these people.” She followed after Irileth, leaving him to make a decision. She new he’d probably stay behind, but it wasn’t any of her concern what he chose to do. As Irileth made her way to the men, Ceridwyn went outside of Whiterun, hopped on her horse, and headed straight for the watchtower.

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“Stubborn woman.” Bishop muttered to himself, patting Karnwyr on the back. “I’m not getting myself killed for someone I just met…” He muttered, causing Karnwyr to whimper at him. He glared, giving it a second thought. Something was telling him to follow after, most likely the look his wolf was giving him at the moment. He got up and stormed off after the soldier, knowing it was clearly a terrible idea. Someone had to keep her from getting herself killed. He knew she could take care of herself, but oddly enough he cared at least a little bit.

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There it was. The broken down tower. It looked rough, as if the dragon really didn’t want it there… or wanted the living things inside of it. She began to climb up to the entrance when a guard came running out, ducking in terror. “There’s a dragon! Don’t go in there! Leave!” Puzzled, Ceridwyn stepped back. “Look, I need you to calm down.” In the distance, the guards and Irileth were readying themselves in case of an attack. “It’ll be alright, just-”

“Dragon! There it is! It’s the dragon!” He readied his sword and ran off into the field, a loud shout of a dragon getting closer with every passing second. Instead of her normal spells, she took out her bow, knowing it was the closest useful thing to use against a dragon rather than her magic. She kept her spells in mind, just in case it was needed. “Soldier! To your left!” The dragon landed next to her, spitting fire. She tried her best to shield herself and keep a stance, but the weight of the dragon shook the ground and knocked her over.

An arrow suddenly pieced the Dragon’s jaw, making it more angry. She turned over to see the ranger and wolf, not happy in the slightest about the situation Ceridwyn had gotten them into. While the Dragon was in pain, she took the chance to stab the dragon in the eye, giving everyone some kind of advantage over the beast. “Archers! Ready your arrows!” They did as she said, but most of them were dodged. The arrows did enough to send it to the ground, most of them piercing it’s wing. Ceridwyn ran towards it with her sword, trying to block the vicious teeth of the dragon snapping at her. She climbed onto the dragon’s head and tried her best to hold on.  
As best as she could she drove her sword into the temple of the dragon, causing it to scream in agony. Finally, it dropped to the ground and screamed something that Ceridwyn didn’t understand. The only thing she was focused on was the fact that they managed to kill a dragon, something not quite heard of. The only time she had heard of such stories was when Hadvar rambled on about Nordic legends, which Ceridwyn though dragons were extinct and only apart of as well.  
She fell off of it’s head, smacking into the ground. She didn’t bother getting up, as if laying down had been a miracle at the moment. “Everyone move back!” She heard the housecarl scream as the guards followed her orders. Confused, Ceridwyn tried her best to lift her head to look up. The dragon was glowing, burning away to ash. The light had gotten brighter, as if it was going straight for her. It was almost blinding, and her arms shielding her eyes had barely been enough to help.

She could hear the gasp of the guards behind her, all of them muttering to one another. “Dragonborn.” That really stuck out to her. What were they talking about? She had finally found the strength to get up, only to see the guards had been crowding behind her. “You! You must be the dragonborn! You absorbed the dragon’s soul, that’s what you did, right?!” She stood there, speechless. Her? No. She couldn’t be. “Look I-” She looked over to find Bishop, staring at her as if she had killed the emperor. “Try to shout!” With that, Ceridwyn screamed, confusing the poor sods. “Not that shout! The OTHER shout!” She tilted her head. That was odd… Shouting. She felt as if she actually understood.  
“Fus!” She pushed the guard back, he stumbled just to stay on his feet. “She summons the thu’um!” Ceridwyn tripped backwards, unable to comprehend what was happening. “You’re the dragonborn!” She could hear them speaking about it. “Irileth, what do you make of this dragonborn business?” The housecarl laughed, “You’d be good to hold your tongue on things you know nothing about. I’ve seen plenty of outlandish things and this is no different. Anyone who can take down a dragon is good enough for me, nordic legend or not. It makes no difference. Head back to the Jarl and tell him what had happened.” She held her hand out to Ceridwyn, helping the young Breton to her feet.

“We have a real problem on our hands now.”


	5. Trust

CHAPTER 5  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
As the three began heading towards Whiterun again, the Ranger seemed uncomfortable. She wanted to ask about it, but it was hard to muster the words to ask him. Ceridwyn knew what all of this might mean... Fighting dragons, chasing after things, and in the end it could even be much worse than she was originally thinking it to be. "Why are you giving me that look?" He glared at her and stopped on the path. She cringed as he began to speak, "I'm not doing this, I'm not going to chase after some wench I met that just so happens to be the mighty dragon slayer all of the flying giant lizards are going to target."

She crossed her arms, unable to gather anything to help her case other than, "I didn't know this was going to happen. You can't blame that on me. I didn't ask for this at all, I just wanted to come home and finish what they asked me to. After that if it meant leaving, then I would leave." Bishop laughed bitterly, a small glimpse of hurt scene on his expression. It was shocking, since it seemed as if he only cared about himself "That doesn't mean I'm going to trail after you like some loyal servant boy while you go off fighting them and get myself killed." Ceridwyn followed up with a more enraged tone, "Then go back to sit on your ass like you were stuck doing before then!" Karnwyr whimpered, taking a seat beside the woman he had come to know. They stayed silent, most of the walk back to Whiterun. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a painful one. Sure, she didn't trust him. He was an egotistical drunk with a mouth that had a mind of it's own.

That didn't stop her from feeling sad about the empty space of company it would leave, how they had been getting to know each other more. It didn't stop her from thinking about the wolf that had grown on her through such a short span of a few months as they traveled around, mostly delaying the news to Whiterun. The closer they had gotten to finishing what they had started that day, the more she was dreading it. She was regretting the travels, it would have been easier just to get this part over with, then she wouldn't be so used to having someone by her side.

________________________________________________________________________

As they reached the gates, a loud shout tore through the sky, "Dovakiin" it sounded like, which even had the two guards whispering to each other. "They're calling for the dragonborn! That hasn't happened in centuries!" She looked to see Bishop's reaction, but the man wouldn't even look at her for even a second. The Breton bent over to pet the wolf as they continued on their way, enjoying the last moments she had to spend with Karnwyr.

When they reached Dragon Reach, Ceridwyn reluctantly opened the doors. From there, she quickly delivered her news to the Jarl, "There was a dragon, it attacked the watch towers. They're destroyed, two guards were lost." He raised one of his eyebrows and shook his head, "There has to be more than that, dragons are coming back." The dread once again filled her chest, having to admit the one thing that was already being a pain in the ass. "Turns out I might be something called 'dragonborn'. It seemed like I absorbed the Dragon's soul." His eyes widened, "So you're the one the Greybeards were calling... They must have known." The old guys with the thousands of steps? Don't tell me I'm gonna have to- "You must go to them, Dragonborn. It's been an honor... Thane."

The new title shocked her, but it was not too much of a surprise. She did slay a dragon for the whole city just to protect them with the intent of possibly dying. She nodded and bowed to the Jarl, "Thank you, I will not forsake the name. I will honor it." On the inside, she wanted to groan. She never was the one to enjoy having to make such long travels, and camping in the middle of the steps probably wasn't a good idea since it was covered in snow and animals that would just love to tear apart a human. The three began to leave, Ceridwyn taking a deep breath as she knew what was about to happen. She knew he only came with her for the gold, but it didn't make it any less hard.

"Well..." She muttered sitting down on one of the steps, "I guess this is it then, yeah?" He still didn't look at her, but instead he took a seat next to her. "How did you join the Legion?" The sudden question was startling, wasn't he just trying to leave her? She shrugged, "I ran away from home to join, had a disagreement with my family at sixteen. I haven't seen them since I left. I'm not even sure if they looked for me, doubt they even cared honestly." He looked at her, the look in his eyes had been different from the usual either mocking or cynical look. It was softer, "Why'd you disagree?" She laughed, it was warm and not the least bit bitter as it usually had been when her parents were brought up, "They would use magic for everything, I didn't like that I refused to do things that way. There's also the fact that they were Stormcloaks. They disagreed with all of my beliefs, to them I was completely different so I was only a burden to them, so that was it. I got tired of it... What about you?"

She leaned back a bit, "I know how you became a ranger, but what about your family. I told you about mine." He got up, taking his bow with him, "That's a story for a different time, Ladyship... If I ever decide to tell you." She glared at him, even more confused than before, "I thought you were leaving because I was just going to get you killed. What made you change your mind?" He shrugged, "The dragonborn would get more gold, yeah? Plus there's a lot more traveling to do rather than to sit at the tavern with nothing to do for the rest of my life." She shook her head while grinning, "Really now?"

"Plus, can't lie, I'd miss those lovely hips leading the way." She rolled her eyes and made a disgusted face, but her smile hadn't left her face for the rest of the day.  
________________________________________________________________________

They began making their way to Ivarstead, each time Ceridwyn began to complain about the steps he would glare at her and simply say, "You have to do it, you don't have much of a choice." or "Stop whining before I give you something to whine about." Of course it didn't work. seven thousand steps were ten times worse anything he was going on about. "Why couldn't it have been you?" She'd say, groaning ever so often. He'd usually throw more comments at her to make her shut up, "Why don't you put that groaning to a better use?" He'd wink and... well it still wouldn't make her stop.

Eventually they made it in front of the steps, Ceridwyn reluctantly beginning to trip up with a little help from Karnwyr's nose nudging. The whole trip still consisted of her whining. It shocked him, that behavior was coming from a soldier that had her life on the line everyday but climbing seven thousand steps had been a challenge. Eventually, he had gotten so tired of her whining he through her over his shoulder, "Your ass is in my face." He grinned, "Then enjoy the view Ladyship because I'm tired of hearing you."

Once they made they had made it to High Hrothgar, he sat her down on the step and crossed his arms. "I wonder what they want with you. If you ask me I think they should just die out already." Ceridwyn shot him a death glare. "They have answers, I need to know what this is about." He shrugged, a smug grin on his face just knowing he had gotten under her skin for even a moment. The three made their way through the two large doors, the first thing to be seen was a few Greybeards, one pacing instead of meditating. Ceridwyn tried to speak to him, "Sir-" She was interrupted. "They do not speak. I speak for them."

The trio turned to see a Greybeard, who was one of the only sources of sounds in the whole sanctuary. "Dovakiin, you have sought us out, yes?" She bowed to him, "I am answering your summons master." He smiled gently, and approached. "Yes child, we are to teach you the way of the voice, just as the Dragonborn should know..." The other Greybeards began to surround them, "If you would... We need to test your understanding. I will gift you my understanding of Ro."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

After she had went through the test with the Greybeards, they sent her for one more test... To retrieve to Horn of Jurgan Windcaller. It sounded easy enough, but it was more dreadful to have to go through the process of climbing those horrid steps again. As they were leaving Ivarstead, Bishop was leading the way since Ceridwyn had her face shoved in the map trying to figure out an easy route to get there without having complications. Right in the middle of the path, Bishop stopped and the young woman behind him smacked right into his back. "Hey!" She groaned, "What was that for? Go on! We're wasting daylight."

He turned, lowering the map from her face, "Hey Ladyship, do you like surprises?" She frowned, "That depends, is it a dark cave I should avoid walking into with you?" He glared at her, but still laughed, "No. Just c'mon. Keep your face out of that map and let me show you." He grabbed her hand began leading her somewhere, a million questions began to pop up in her mind and she did nothing to stop from asking the aloud, "Where you taking me?"

"It's not far from her, princess. Just be patient." That nickname was new, but she didn't question it. "Is it a fox? I do like foxes..." Karnwyr glared at her, much like how Bishop did before, making Ceridwyn laugh. "No, just shut up and be patient ladyship." She groaned, but nodded and decided to just go along with it. They began approaching what looked like a tower. As she trailed behind him she took the chance to appreciate the view of the sun shining and the water reflecting it. After he had took a bit more of distance in front of her she started to follow him again, up the steps and out into an opening. He stood near the ledge and grinned, "So? What do you think?" She looked around and gave him a conflicted look, "It's beautiful, but why did you bring me here?"

"This is the place where I found Karnwyr." She looked to the wolf, who calmly lied down behind them, "It means a lot to me and I wanted to make you a part of it." She stared at him, too shocked to say anything, "Look- I'm not making sense am I? I trust you. I've never trusted anyone but my wolf and myself." Ceridwyn scrunched her nose and put her hands behind her back, "Where's the real Bishop? Impostor!" He looked at her, clearly offended, "What? Ladyship. I'm serious." She smiled, "Well, I trust you too. Until you decide to loot my dead body and run... I'll haunt you." She pointed at him jokingly, "I actually planned on looting something else." He stepped closer and put his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He leaned down and place his lips on her's. It took her a moment to react, unable to figure out what was happening. Slowly she melted and kissed him back. Once he pulled away, he let his lips linger and ghost over her own, "You just kissed me." She nervously muttered, her breath shaking, "You just now noticed?"

She finally looked up at him, a look of surprise still evident on her face, "You kissed me." She stated again, "Is that all you can say?" He laughed, "If I would have known you'd react like this I would have done it much sooner ladyship." He began to walk out but he stopped at the door way, "Look, I'm not good at this whole romance thing..." He grinned, "Let's go get that horn before they have a stroke over it." She ignored the comment, following after the ranger. "You're not going to stay like this the whole way there are you? Because I can think of other ways to get you to stop being so silent..."

Ignoring what he had said, Ceridwyn touched her lips where his had been and shrugged, "Maybe not." The mage had no idea how to feel, but at the moment the only thing that she could focus on was her heart trying to beat out of her chest and the fact that her whole life had just been completely changed around.

  
'I wonder what my family would think of me now.'  



	6. Horn Theft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this took me so long! I ran into some writer's block but I think I'm fine now. Thank you to all of you for reading, I hope you enjoy! ^^

 

**CHAPTER 6  
**

* * *

They traveled for what felt like days. What would usually make Ceridwyn moan and groan about her legs hurting left a different expression on her face. Determination, is what it it seemed like. Although, it was the twitch of her nose that gave it away. She was lost in her thoughts. Bishop and Karnwyr both stared at her curiously. What was so interesting that it would stop the usually complaining? He wanted to poke and prod her but he remembered that he himself still refused to even tell her about his past. It took an innocent, confused stare to make him realize he had accidentally asked her out loud. She just grinned at him and tapped her nose. "Oh you know... Just thinking about how tired my legs are. Can we stop? I think if we go any further my legs are gonna die!" _How did she become a soldier again?_ He stared at her in disbelief, "Didn't you have to walk like this all the time while serving?" She nodded, "Yeah, but it doesn't mean I have to like it or do it now. I haven't made my way back to the general yet." Now that he thought about it, she may have been stupidly brave, but she wasn't the strongest. Sure, her magic was devastating if she didn't trip up on a spell, but not her physical strength. The more he traveled with her the more he realized the smaller things, and that certainly was one of them he would have missed had he not been paying much attention to her.   


"Why don't we go ahead and camp? It's almost dark. I'm sure we'll make it there tomorrow." She pleaded, shaking her legs slightly to hint at the fact that they were giving out. Karnwyr barked happily in agreement. "See? The pup has spoken! We camp!" He looked taken aback, "W-Ladyship? Are you saying you're letting the wolf make the decisions now?" Ceridwyn grinned mischievously, "He agrees with me _**way**_ more than you do! ...So **_of course_** I am when it comes to setting up camp." Bishop sighed, "Why did I agree to travel with you again?" He muttered his question, but not quiet enough. "What was it that you said? You'd miss my lovely hips taking the lead!" She mocked his words and ran off to set up the tents, leaving an agitated ranger to tend to the fire. 

* * *

 

The trio sat around the warm fire, trying to spare themselves from Skyrim's bitter cold that nipped at the most sensitive parts of the skin as it was exposed. The fire cracked in front of them, and the soft, warm glow gave off a calming effect regardless of the way the air felt as if it could take breath straight from their lungs.  These were the moments Bishop hated, where the mushy thoughts began to creep into his mind.  How the tint of the fire made her face light up, a flattery to her features, or how she grinned so happily when Karnwyr pawed at a every small organism that passed by him. Even the way she was shy of looking into his eyes after what happened in Ivarstead. She was nothing more to him than another tail to chase, though a dangerous one at that. He did, however, trust her. That was saying a lot since her couldn't normally trust anyone but his wolf, not even the person serving him drinks in taverns. She was strange, she was like a locked up book that was difficult to be open. She acted happy but there were several moments that same old dark look would fall over her. Was it the fact that she had to deal with being a mighty Dragonslayer? Maybe flashbacks to bad times during her time serving, or her family. It was hard to tell what the woman was thinking. **She was hard to read.**  
   
Though, Ceridwyn's thoughts were quite similar to Bishops. He didn't like to touch on his past and that made her want to open him up more. She refused to push him, of course. Why push someone if that will make them **NEVER** want to tell you? That was precisely what she was thinking of earlier. Him. No not loving thoughts, though she'd be lying if she didn't admit it happened from time to time, it was guesses on his past. What did he have to hide? Was he a mercenary? No? Maybe he was once a thief. No, he doesn't seem like he would get along with the thieves, but he'd sure make a good one. What about an as- "Ladyship?" She snapped out of her thoughts. "You're staring at me." He grinned, but before he could say anything she waved her hand around trying to dismiss him. "You were out of it earlier too... Thinking about me huh?" She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, "Precisely." He looked puzzled. She admitted it so quickly. "Oh so-" She cut him off before he could make a suggestive comment. "No." Bishop raised his eyebrow, still grinning. "You're not going to tell me then, huh?" She shook her head. "Then I guess I'll just have to assume, princess." 

With that, Ceridwyn stood up and smiled, "Assume what you like then I suppose, if it satisfies your curiosity." She knew it was coming, but she let it happen anyways. If anything, she was used to it by now. "Then I guess that's the thought I'll keep." He said with a wink. Ceridwyn sat down beside him, deciding to stay up with him. "Aren't you gonna sleep ladyship?" She shook her head, "Nightmares, don't feel like getting eaten today, yeah?" She lied her head on the Ranger's shoulder and yawned, "That or I can fall asleep here and we can both be in trouble." The sound of his laugh and the light chirps of crickets slowly faded as she drifted off unknowingly.

* * *

 Bishop awoke to Ceridwyn's head on his chest, realizing that sometime during the night he had fallen asleep on the ground and she had managed to make her way back to use him as a pillow. Luckily, Karnwyr seemed alert, as if he had taken over the watch when they had passed out. He scrunched his nose and tried to pick her up, but she mumbled something and hugged onto him. "Ceridwyn it's time to go." His gruff voice was enough to wake the soldier up, once she had realized what she was doing she shuffled back. He grinned at her, making it clear he wasn't going to leave her alone about it. 

 The whole time they were packing he didn't say a word, which confused her. He would normally bother her about these sort of things but this time he seemed to be deep in his thoughts. "I hope you're not going to be like that when we go for the horn, wouldn't want to carry you out of there." She gave him a cheeky grin, only to be match with a surprising warm laugh, "You? Carry me? Not how that works princess." Ceridwyn was disappoint when he quickly when back to what he was doing. Something felt like it was wrong, but here wasn't much she could say to make him budge, which only made the journey fill with a painful silence... Aside from Karnwyr's occasional barks to show how much he hated the silence as well.

* * *

 

Bishop took the mages and bandits down faster than Ceridwyn could, she used her sword but focused less on her magic. She didn't want to use it just in case there was something far worse in the cave that needed it. With a final stab into a chest and a searing burn to her hand the last mage was finally slain. Worried about the injury Bishop took her hand, "Do you need this bandaged? I'm no healer but-" She swatted him away, "I'm fine it's just a burn." It was obvious she was lying, the woman was tearing up as she held her hand but he didn't question her, if she wanted to act tough he'd let her. 

"You know, I hate mages." Bishop laughed as the three walked away from the dead mages that lay dead on the floor, "You are a mage, you can't hate mages." Ceridwyn grinned at him, "That's where you're wrong, because I do anyways. Most of them that do this stuff at least... Does something smell like it's burning?" The ranger pointed at her shoulder, the coat she wore beginning to singe. Screeches, patting the fire away and giving Bishop more to make fun of her for, "Thought you weren't afraid of anything." She stared at him and started walking off passed him, "I never said that. I said I wasn't afraid of much." He caught up quickly, "I bet you're afraid of the small spiders too." She groaned and lightly shoved him away. "Can we just get this and get out of here?"  
  


 

 

* * *

__

_**"What do you mean the horn is gone?"**_ Ceridwyn shrugged as Bishop held onto the note and looked around where the horn should be. "This has to be a joke." They had spent the whole night making their way by bandits, only to find a single note giving them instructions to go back to the Sleeping Giant because they had it. Bishop seemed almost furious, but Ceridwyn felt... Relieved. Either they were going to help her or maybe even claim her place. It's not like she wanted to be what the Gods had chosen for her. "We'll just go check it out, alright? They may have good intentions." He stared at her and shook his head, "You're too trusting during these situations Princess, sometimes I worry that'll be the reason you fall." She smiled, "Well now at least you're worried." He tried to hide a smile, "Don't make me take it back.

 


	7. Hey guys, before I continue!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shameless ad. (No I'm not paid for this, but to share it to those who read is important! ^^)

Look guys, I'm a softy for quest mods, but this mod I hold very close to my person favorites. So, as I've been writing about this mod for some time now, most of you should know more about it, and I highly urge you to get it. In my experience I loved this mod to bits and pieces. It was an amazing experience, and it made Skyrim much more fun. I was beginning to get bored of it, but this mod came to my rescue!

In a land full of excilerating action, fast-paced battles with many unforgettable foes, and thrilling adventures, one thing Skyrim lacked to it's core was something many tend to long for in even the most hardened of companions... Romance. Have you ever thought about Skyrim's marriage system and wondered, "Why can't this be more immersive or exciting?" Well, the team from Skyrim Romance worked had to bring you that and so much more. You get to experience not only a thrilling romance, but your jawdropping Dragonborn get's the recognition they deserve! This gorgeous, immersive mod brings in Bishop and his faithful wolf Karnwyr as well as tons of dialogue with your handsome love interest that gets your heart pounding and new interesting characters to interact with. Why stick with your boring house spouse? Play Skyrim Romance 3.0 today! Don't keep your ranger waiting!

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	8. Update!

**This story will be edited soon! I have made some mistakes and would like to fix them as well as a few parts of the story so that it makes sense.**

 

**I am also making a new one for this same fandom. Please do bare with me for I have college classes as well as my life.**

 

**Thank you to everyone who have stayed and bared with me!**


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